The Pine Grove
by sulphurwolf
Summary: A sullen and hateful descendant of the Putnam family takes a young girl to bride. The reason for his choice? In her family the females carry The Power.
1. Chapter 1

Kate DeWeerd

I'm going through some writers block right now, so I'm posting some older stuff I wrote to get opinions on it. And who knows, hopefully all of the reviews will give me my muse back.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from The Covenant!

**Pine Grove**

Xander watched in silence as Reena and Gwen slowly made their way up the steep path up the hill leading to the woods. When they reached her the three women silently sent a prayer to the Mother Goddess, then they turned to follow the winding path into the large grove of pine trees.

The three sisters intertwined their fingers as the passed into the first cool shadows of the trees, Gwen and Reena flanking Xander. Gwen tilted her head back to stare up at the blue sky, using her free hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight filtering through the green pine needles. The day was exceptionally hot, and the three welcomed the chilly breeze that wound its way through the trunks of the trees to relieve them from the stifling humidity of summer in the countryside.

Waiting for them in the small clearing in the middle of the grove were nine younger women. As the final three joined the group all of the girl's eyes caught the sun at once, their green eyes gleaming. The gathering of twelve laced their long, slender fingers together; the three who had come in last were placed in the circle so that there were three other girls between each.

The gathering began to sing an old hymn, their voices blending in perfect harmony. As they sang the air reverberated with joy, and the stifling heat was dispelled, a comfortable warmth taking its place. The twelve finished their song and sat on the comfortable grass in the now purified clearing.

The women looked among themselves until they were all focused on Gwen. At 39 she was the eldest of the women, and so it was her right to lead the ceremony. She began by calling on the elements, asking them to bless herself and her sisters. Next she passed around an ancient pottery bowl nearly full to the rim with salt. Each sister dipped her fingers into the salt, some of them rubbing a bit onto their faces, to purify their bodies. When they were finished Gwen stood and addressed the gathering.

"My sisters, it is upon hearing grave news that I called for this gathering. There is a small family in the village which has become suspicious of our family. There is talking about the town of a meeting to take place at the mayor's manor next night, where the other family is going to announce something to the entire village. I am scared to think of what may come should we remain here much longer." With this she sighed and sat back down, inviting her sisters to give their opinion on the matter. At once several voices began to sound, until Xander and Reena stood. The two looked at each other, and Xander bowed, then sat back down, deferring to Reena, who was a 24 to her 18.

"My sisters, we must remain calm for the time being, and remember our laws. The eldest voice may speak first." With that she sat, and looked expectantly at the eldest of girls to raiser their voice. Xander, who stood once more and cleared her throat,

"I propose we pack up and leave. Tonight." She raised her hand for silence as a low grumble emitted from the younger girls. "You know what these people would do if they found us out. What other course of action can we take? If we stay they will burn us for our gift." She looked at the gathering, and then sat. As she glanced at Reena and Gwen she saw them nod in silent contemplation.

"What if we were to accept the family's offer?" One of the girls piped up, her voice carrying across the silence her suggestion had caused. All the girls turned their eyes to either Gwen, Reena, or Xander. As the eldest three, they held the right to make such decisions.

"What offer do you speak of?" Reena said slowly, in a low, dangerous voice.

"Well, if the family is the one I am thinking of, then am I not correct in thinking that they had made an offer of matrimony?" The girl said tentatively. Reena's eyes narrowed and cast her eyes to Gwen, who cleared her throat, signaling Reena to answer for her. The forest green eyes found the bright greens of the younger woman once more.

"So you would suggest sending one of your sisters to them in order to save your precious piece of land?" Reena said in a challenging tone.

"Well, if the sacrifice of one's happiness would keep the rest in comfort, isn't it worth it?" The girl glanced at Xander for a second before lowering her eyes to the ground. Xander raised her own gaze from where she had been watching a ladybug, obviously ignoring the conversation thus far.

"What is your name again?" She asked in a drawling tone.

"Isabel." The girl said.

"Well then, Isabel, if that is the way you feel, you can go and marry the son of Hagan Pope, grandson to miss Goody Pope." Xander said, watching the younger's expression with dark eyes as she spoke. The girl gasped at the suggestion, abruptly meeting her gaze.

"You can't be serious! Why would I want to marry him?" She put a hand over mouth, realizing her mistake as she said it. Xander leaned forward slightly, her voice becoming lower, quieter, and full of venom.

"Was it not your suggestion in the first place? Did you not say that the sacrifice of one would be worth the salvation of the others? If this is truly what you think, then why not sacrifice yourself?" Her dark eyes clouded with anger and air around them seemed to vibrate as a harsh, cold wind gusted through the clearing. The girl hung her head in shame, realizing the foolishness of her suggestion. Gwen and Reena both sighed and looked at Xander, who promptly sat up straight, the anger leaving her eyes, causing the winds to calm and the air to warm up again.

"Are there any other suggestions?" Reena asked quietly, peering at the drawn faces of her sisters. Each in turn shook their heads, and her gaze rested on Gwen.

"Then we will leave. We shall all go home and pack our things tonight, and then at first light tomorrow, we get ourselves to another small hamlet in the country side." Gwen spoke as she stood, the others rising with her. As they did the comforting silence and cool breeze which had lain over the grove disappeared, giving way to the sticky humidity once more. He girl began to disperse until only the two eldest and Xander remained. Xander was younger than many of the girls in the grove, but she was still respected like an older girl because of her immense power.

"So, where should we go?" Xander asked the older women. The two looked between each other and then back at Xander.

"How will we know where we are going until we get there?" Reena asked softly. It was those words that were the foundation of the family's traditions. Whenever the people of the village they were in at the time began to realize what the family was, they were forced to pack up and move or be killed. Generations had simply wandered through the country until they came across a suitable village where they would temporarily settle.

"But what direction do we take?" Xander asked, her eyes darting between Reena and Gwen. Reena sighed and walked forward, looping her arm around her younger sister's waist. She began to walk from the grove, pulling the younger girl with her. The two women made their way along the path, leaving Gwen in the grove to think.

A time later Gwen exited the circle of trees and followed the path the other two had taken. As she approached the small house the three women shared she began to notice that something was not right with the house. There were no birds singing, and there was only one light lit. As she tentatively continued forward Gwen's feeling of unrest grew. She nearly sprinted the rest of the way when she noticed the door was open slightly. The first thing she saw when she entered the small abode was a broken pile of glass on the floor. After that she noticed the man standing inside, waiting for her.

"I should have known you would not let us go Tim." Gwen said as she stepped forward, gently pushing the door shut with one of her feet. The young man smiled at her and walked into the den, where the only light in the house burned. As Gwen entered the room her eyes immediately moved to the couch were Xander and Reena were bound and gagged. Two men held them firmly, just in case their knots were not as tight as they thought. And in the corner stood Isabel, the foolish girl who had spoken up at the assembly.

"Isabel, how could you!" Gwen exclaimed when she caught sight of the girl.

"I had no other choice. If I had not told him to snatch Xander now, then we would have been forced to leave our homes!" Isabel said, her eyes filled with tears.

"Do not think those crocodile tears will move my heart. You know damn well what it means to betray your sisters. And your argument is foolish in the extreme. Your home is where your family is, not some dwelling stuck fast in the earth." Gwen sent the girl a withering glare before turning her attention back to the man who stood in their den.

"Timozel, do not do this. Do not force Xander to a marriage she does not want. She will never love you, and how could you make a marriage without love?" Gwen pleaded with the man. Xander was her younger sister, and Gwen knew what would happen if Timozel took her for his. There would be a bonding of her own powerful family and a son of the Ipswich clans.

"Sorry Gwen, but you are far too late for that. You see, even though we have not been formally bonded, I have claimed Xander as mine. Your sweet Isabel ran straight to my house after your meeting to tell me you were leaving, I knew that would not do, so I took my men and little Isabel straight here. I've had hours alone with your sisters. And you already know I am an impulsive man." A wicked smile crept across Tim's face as a mix of shock and horror overtook Gwen. Her eyes went to Xander, hoping what Timozel said was a lie. But when Xander averted her eyes in shame, Gwen uttered a cry of horror and defeat.

"Now then my soon-to-be-sister, I think it is about time Xander and I went home," Tim said as her motioned his men to lift his bride-to-be and follow him out. He turned his head to look at Reena and Gwen, who had run to her side.

"The wedding will be the morning after next. I shall use the meeting I called for tomorrow evening to tell the town of this auspicious news. Come." The last was directed towards Isabel, who squeaked at the sudden command before bowing and scurrying out after the men.

A time later Gwen and Reena sat in silence in the middle of a circle made up of their sisters, who had all received the news via Timozel's messengers. All of their sisters were in attendance save for Xander and Isabel. The sisters wept at the fate of their beloved, and bellowed in anger at the betrayal by a trusted sister. After a while the sisters began to find places in the house to sleep, as they did not plan on leaving Gwen and Reena alone.

At the home of Goody Pope and her son Timozel, Xander was pacing around a small room that had been given to her until the wedding was done. She would occasionally stop to look at herself in the large mirror that was leaned against the wall opposite the door, running her fingers through her hair or smoothing out the wrinkles in the dress given to her by Goody Pope, as hers had been torn and tattered. She hated her appearance now. She knew there was no real change in her looks, other than the dress, but her mind told her that she was hideous to all now that Timozel had raped her.

"Xander?" Called a tentative voice from a chair beside the bed. Isabel had also been placed in the room, since after the wedding it was to be hers. Xander refused to look at the girl, her anger now shining forth from her eyes. Isabel simply moved her eyes from the reflection of Xander in the mirror.

"You should sleep older sister; you have to look your best when you and Timozel make your announcement to the town." Isabel had said exactly the wrong thing, and she knew it from the way Xander's breathing slowed, and the creak of the floor as the older girl turned to look at her.

"And how, dear Isabel, do you expect me to 'look my best' after what Timozel did? He made me hideous with his violation of my body. A violation which he only carried out because you betrayed me." Her eyes flashed and the air began to vibrate, a harsh wind picking up in the room despite there being no windows. Isabel fled to a corner, cowering in the shadows cast by the lamplight in the room. Suddenly the door burst open and five women ran in, grabbing hold of Xander and forcing her to a chair, where they tied her up and blindfolded her.

They all breathed sighs of relief when the wind died down and the air calmed. They ushered Isabel out of the room, wise now to the calamity her presence in the room would cause. Xander was released when she was gone, herded into a corner, and the left to laugh at the fools as they ran from the room, locking the door tight as the wind began to howl once more. Xander sat on the bed in silence, the lack of sleep making her so weak that the small displays of power had drained her energy. After a while she curled up on the bed, in the corner furthest from the door. The moment her head hit the pillow her eyes closed and she was out like a light.

End

Ok, please tell me what you think!

And to all those who are reading my Shinkirou story, I will update soon, promise!

Kayt 3


	2. Chapter 2

Pine Grove2

Just another chapter I typed up. For all you haters who don't like my writing I have this to say; these are not works of art, these are products of my extreme boredom. If I have made spelling/grammar mistakes it is because I am typing these up during classes, and the Spellcheck at school sucks ass. So if you want to write mean reviews go ahead, you just make yourselves look even more foolish for failing to read my introductions, which clearly state that I am not even trying with some of these stories, and that they are merely here to give me a distraction during my class.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or plot line of The Covenant. I only own the female characters of Xander's family, and Xander herself.

**Pine Grove2**

When she awoke Xander could hear the slow, shallow breaths of another asleep beside her. She opened her eyes cautiously, and found herself staring at the fair colored Isabel. Xander smirked to herself, wondering that the girl hadn't learned her lesson. She lay still beside the girl for a moment before lashing out with her power, using it to shove the girl unceremoniously from the bed. Isabel sprawled out on the floor, her arms and legs akimbo. The girl woke from her slumber with a cry of dismay. She blinked a few times, and was about to yell at the one who had so rudely awakened her when she caught sight of Xander's malicious grin. Isabel clamped her mouth shut, picking herself up and brushing off her dress.

Xander was about to send another wave of power at the girl when the door to their little room slammed open and a bevy of servant women filed in, walking to Xander and Isabel and looking them over. They began to mutter to themselves at Isabel's disheveled appearance, and elicited a sigh from the elder girl. Xander walked to a chair and sat down, staring out the window. She was still tired; Timozel's violation had taxed her power greatly. She had used her reserves to exact a small measure of revenge on Isabel. As she retained only a minimal level of power she decided that cooperation would be best for the time being.

The servants began to strip and remake the bed, and then went to work on the girls. Xander was dressed in a light linen chemise and underskirt. Her figure allowed her to go without the corsets common to women of high fashion. Her silk bodice, as the matching silken skirt was of a soft green stitched with gold, which accentuated the brown and blonde streaks in her auburn hair. Isabel wore a pale blue bodice and skirt over a coarser, wooly chemise and underskirt. When the women had finished dressing them they went to work on their hair. Xander's auburn locks were pinned up, allowing them to flow down from the crown of her head attractively. Isabel's was brushed and twisted into a braid left to run down her back.

When they had finished the servants left, allowing the girls to be alone once more. Isabel sat before the mirror, attempting to shift her tight corset. Unlike Xander her figure was not the desired hourglass shape, and so she had been wearing corsets since childhood. Remiem was flipping through a copy of the bible that was kept in the bed-side table, occasionally sneering at what was written. This behavior continued for an hour or so before Timozel entered the room. Xander stood immediately, her entire body tense, her eyes flat with hatred. Isabel also stood, but more slowly, still trying to fix her corset.

"Ladies, it is time for Xander and I to make our announcement." He offered his arm to his betrothed, who merely sent a withering glare at him before turning her face from him. His face twisted in a mix of disappointment and anger before he walked back out of the room, leaving the door open for them to follow him. Isabel ventured nearer to the elder girl, reaching out to tentatively place a hand on Xander's. When the older girl did not react Isabel slipped her hand into her sisters and tugged slightly, causing Xander to step forward. Isabel's courage fortified and she led her sister from the room, hurrying after Timozel.

They turned a few corners, and then there he was, waiting for them by the front door. Once more he offered his arm to his future bride, and once more she turned her face from his, choosing instead to remain at Isabel's side. Hated sister though she was, Isabel was preferable to Timozel. She led her elder sister to the carriage, sitting them across for Timozel and one of his men. The carriage driver closed the door, climbed to his seat, and they were off. The town hall was not exceptionally far away, but the path leading to it was muddy. Thus they were there in a matter of a few minutes, Tim and his man getting out first, helping Isabel, who turned and offered assistance to Xander. Shortly before they entered the side entrance to the hall Timozel grabbed Xander's arm, pulling her to him and whispering softly in her ear.

"You will act the part of the happy betrothed, or I shall not hesitate to announce your family secret to the townspeople." She merely nodded, and he released her, stepping back. This time when he offered her his arm she reluctantly took it, placing a cheery smile on her face that would appease him. He nodded in satisfaction, and then opened the door and led her into the hall. They took the seats directly behind the podium, Timozel acting the gallant gentleman and waiting for his fiancé to be seated first. When all of the Pope family was seated and the audience quieted Tim rose, stepping up to the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have called you here to make an important announcement. But before I do, I would like to ask the lovely Xander Bryg to stand with me." As to their accordance, Xander went into her act immediately. She smiled demurely, inclining her head slightly and rising, taking hold of Timozel's hand and standing to the side and slightly behind him. She curtsied to the audience, her cheeks a light, rosy pink, as if she were truly the lovelorn bride-to-be. Timozel turned to the audience once more, a grin on his face.

"It is my pleasure to inform the townspeople that just yesterday Miss Xander accepted my proposal of marriage." At this the townspeople rose from their seats, clapping and roaring in approval. Timozel visibly glowed, basking in his triumph. Xander's skin paled, though it went unnoticed by the raucous audience. The only ones amongst the crowds in the hall that were not cheering sat perfectly still and silent. Gwen and Reena held each others hands, surrounded by their family, using all their willpower to keep themselves from weeping openly. After the cheers died down Timozel drew Xander to him, then began to speak again.

"We will be holding the wedding three days hence, on the eve of the Vernal Equinox. For what better day to conceive our marriage than that of the waxing of the earth's fruits?" He chuckled, looking to Xander.

"I only hope that my bride-to-be will wax with child to accompany the earth." He audience laughed as Xander's cheeks colored considerably.

The men spoke of how they envied Tim his pretty catch, and the women twittered endlessly of Xander's fortunes at attracting such a powerful family over the days between the announcement and wedding. Meanwhile Xander and Isabel spent the three days preparing for the rites they would perform themselves on the morning of the Equinox. Traitor or not, Isabel was her sister, and Xander would make the most of their unfortunate situation. Isabel had been forced into a marriage to Timozel's younger brother. Thus it was that in their shared misery of forced matrimony that the two girls grew close, despite their initial aversions.

And so, when the morning of the Equinox arrived the two women roused themselves, dressing each other quickly in light linen underclothes and began their rites. They had barely finished the ceremony when the maids came in to prepare the girls for the wedding.

Xander was shoved into a silk dress of the softest green, lighter even than the one she had worn on the day of the announcement. This time though she was laced into a tight corset and her underclothes were of thicker linen. Isabel was garbed in a demure purple skirt and bodice of silk. Her underclothes were also of a thicker linen, and her corset, which she always wore, was laced far tighter. Both women's hair was brushed out and then left family chapel hall. The chapel was filled with the friends and relatives of the Pope family, but also with Xander's family, all of whom were as somber as if they were attending a funeral rather than a wedding. And well they might have been; the funeral for their sister's future. As Xander stood at the alter, holding Timozel's hand her family wept for all their sister could have achieved and for the suffering she would endure at Timozel's side.

**End**

Ok, so I'm being a lazy fuck and I'm gonna end it here. You don't like it? Too bad. I'll add more later. Also, its summer time so I will have a lot more time to write up longer chapters. And for those of you that read my Shinkirou story I promise to update soon. I'm about three paragraphs away from finishing the next chapter.


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